this was also in the sampling from the distributor. Although another big brewery product, i enjoyed this. poors dark at first but held up to the light there is a nice glimpse of red. clear. roasted bitterness comes through in both the aroma and the aftertaste without any of the fruitiness that would come with bitterness from hops. the foam was tan, and if there was any drawback, it was not thick or persistent. FWIW, i think they did an okay job on this just like they did with Batch 19.